(b) A 30-minute recovery period (rest in a cool environment and hydrate) must occur no later than 2 hours into practice.

(c) Unrestricted and unlimited access to water throughout physical activity is strongly encouraged.

2. Long Day

(a) Maximum of one practice is 3 hours of physical activity plus a 30-minute recovery period.

(b) A 30-minute recovery period (rest in a cool environment and hydrate) must occur no later than 2 hours into practice.

(c) Minimum of a 3-hour break without physical exertion, in a cool environment, with rehydration before the second practice that day.

(d) The longer practice, which is limited to 3 hours of physical activity plus a 30-minute recovery period, may be at any time during the day. When combined with an additional practice, there must be a 3-hour break between.

(e) Maximum additional practice is 1.5 hours.

(f) Unrestricted and unlimited access to water throughout physical activity is strongly encouraged.

4-2-9 NEW: A soft-padded headband is permitted.

Rationale: This information is not included in the rules. It is mentioned in a situation.

11-1-4: A player is offside and penalized if, at the time the ball touches or is played by a teammate, the player is involved in active play and interferes with play or with an opponent or seeks to gain an advantage by being in that position. A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage.

Rationale: The addition of this information aligns NFHS with other rules codes.

14-1-4:….Once the kicker starts his/her approach toward the ball, he/she may not interrupt his/her movement. Failure to kick the ball as specified shall result in a re-kick will be considered a violation by the attacking team, and the appropriate penalties shall apply.

Rationale: As the rule is currently written, even though the attacking team has committed the infringement, it penalizes the defending team if it successfully stops a penalty kick. If the penalty kick is unsuccessful, the defending team should be awarded the ball as the attacking team has incorrectly taken the penalty kick. The current interpretation that the ball has not been put into play so a re-kick must take place is difficult to justify because rarely does the referee blow the whistle in time to prevent the kick from being taken. Thus the ball moves forward and is considered in play under all other interpretations of the rules. Trying to rationalize this rule to the defending team's players and coaches is very difficult considering they have just prevented a goal even though their opponents committed a violation. Finally, changing the restart in this case to an IFK or the other appropriate penalties aligns NFHS rules with other rules codes.

18-1-1 NEW o: GAINING AN ADVANTAGE BY BEING IN THAT POSITION-A player who plays a ball that rebounds to him/her off a goal post or the crossbar after having been in an offside position, or a player who after being in an offside position plays a ball that rebounds to him/her off an opponent, who has not deliberately played the ball or made a deliberate save.

Rationale: Gaining An Advantage by being in that Position is in Rule 11-1-4, but it has never been defined. This new definition aligns NFHS with other rules codes.

18-1-1 NEW u: INTERFERING WITH AN OPPONENT – Preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or movement of challenging an opponent for the ball.

Rationale: Interfering with an Opponent is in Rule 11-1-4, but it has never been defined. This new definition aligns NFHS with other rules codes..

18-1-1 NEW v: INTERFERING WITH PLAY – Playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate.

Rationale: Interfering with Play is in Rule 11-1-4, but what it means has never been defined. This new definition aligns NFHS with other rules codes.

The NFHS SMAC has developed the following position statement regarding soft or padded headgear products in non-helmeted sports:

The NFHS does not consider soft or padded headgear products as effective equipment in preventing a concussion in non-helmeted sports. As explained below, soft or padded headgear products may be worn in non-helmeted sports that allow for such optional equipment, but the intent of that equipment should be for reasons other than concussion prevention. Valid scientific research should be pursued to more definitively determine evidence-based efficacy regarding using such products to decrease the incidence of concussion. However, no currently available soft or padded headgear can prevent a concussion.

The NFHS recommends caution in using soft or padded headgear devices to permit medical clearance of a student-athlete, if he or she would otherwise not be medically cleared to participate in sports. Currently, wearing such headgear as a condition to play in order to prevent another concussion is not scientifically or medically supported; therefore, a medical waiver for wearing this type of equipment in the case of hastening return to play after a concussion is inappropriate. However, this equipment may be used to cover lacerations and sutures, if these devices are deemed appropriate within the sport’s playing rules.

Current design and recommended use of these devices do not address the proposed mechanism of concussive injury, that being acceleration, deceleration and rotational forces acting on the brain. Schools should refer to equipment standards from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), and the Hockey Equipment Certification Council, Inc. (HECC), when considering protective equipment for student-athletes, and monitor that the equipment is being used for mitigating the risk of injuries for which the equipment is designed.

When considering the use of optional soft or padded headgear products in non-helmeted sports, athletes and coaches should take the time to read the qualifying statements provided with such products that address specific limitations, particularly those related to preventing serious head injuries. Wearing such products may provide a false sense of security in concussion protection to student-athletes, coaches and parents. Moreover, a false sense of security in concussion protection may increase the likelihood that players, coaches and parents will consider a given medical condition to be adequately addressed and may cause them to place less importance upon avoiding head impact, reporting concussion symptoms and recovering fully before returning to play.

The NFHS SMAC will continue to monitor developments in soft and padded headgear and will consider adjustments to its position should valid scientific and clinical evidence arise.

Approved June 2013

DISCLAIMER – NFHS Position Statements and Guidelines

The NFHS regularly distributes position statements and guidelines to promote public awareness of certain health and safety-related issues. Such information is neither exhaustive nor necessarily applicable to all circumstances or individuals, and is no substitute for consultation with appropriate health-care professionals. Statutes, codes or environmental conditions may be relevant. NFHS position statements or guidelines should be considered in conjunction with other pertinent materials when taking action or planning care. The NFHS reserves the right to rescind or modify any such document at any time.

A proposal to create administrative rules related to soccer goals has been sent by the Safety and Building Division of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce to the state legislature for assembly and senate committee review.

The proposal to create administrative code chapter Comm 9, Movable Soccer Goals, is in response to 2009 Wisconsin Act 390, s. 167.21, Wis. Stats., which calls for rules to ensure that movable soccer goals are properly anchored or secured to reduce the possibility of goals tipping over or being pull down and resulting in injuries or fatalities.

The proposals developed reflect the Guidelines for Movable Soccer Goal Safety from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The rules would apply to new and existing goals located at public places, such as parks, as well as those located at private schools or private recreational facilities. Enforcement would be via a complaint to Safety and Buildings Division staff, but the expectation is that owners of movable soccer goals will voluntarily adhere to the rules once the information is made public.

There was previously a public hearing on the rules and the public can contact the legislative committees if additional input is desired. The rules would possibly be effective July 1, 2011.

Here is a like to the code proposal documents, commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-CodeDevelopment.html

Beginning with the 2012 fall season, the NOCSAE seal and height range shall be permanently marked on the front of the shinguard. Equipment shall not be modified from its original manufactured state and shall be worn in the manner the manufacturer intended it to be worn.

Beginning with the 2013 fall soccer season, the home team will be required to wear solid WHITE jerseys and socks and the visiting team shall wear dark jerseys and socks. This is according to a re- cent newsletter we received from the National Federation with the rule changes for next year. The only area of the jersey in which you may have color is the number, school name, or manufacturer logo. No colored trim.

The requirement for white jerseys is a change from the existing rule that allows a team to wear “light” jerseys at home. This will be a requirement for varsity teams only. Any light jerseys currently being used at the varsity level could be used for subvarsity teams.

This requirement is very similar to the change that was made in the sport of basketball in 2008. In addition, beginning with the 2012 fall season, the goalkeeper jersey will be required to have a number on the back and on the front of the jersey or short similar to a field playerʼs jersey. The number on the back must be a minimum of 6” in height and the front number 4” in height.

Beginning in the fall of 2012, only those names, patches, emblems, logos or insignias referencing the school are permitted on the team uniform. This rule addition prohibits players from wearing any names, patches, emblems, or insignias that represent any soccer club, soccer association or spon- sor(s) on their uniform. This rule clarifies that only names, patches, emblems or insignias that repre- sent their school are permitted.